Carbondale Calendars and Events
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East St. Louis Calendars and Events

A graduate and professional school fair will be at SIUC later this month.  The fair is from 1 to 4 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 14, in the Student Center’s International Lounge.  The graduate school fair is for students who want to continue their academic careers in fields that include social work, medicine, higher education, and mass communication.  The attendance list for the fair includes graduate programs at SIUC, Indiana State University, DePaul University, the School of Art Institute in Chicago, McKendree University, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois at Chicago, Cleveland Chiropractic College, and the University of Medicine and Health Sciences in St. Kitts.  A list of job fair participants is updated daily as employers register and is available at http://careerservices.siuc.edu/events/fairschedule_GPSF09.htm.  Call Career Services at (618)453-2391 or visit http://careerservices.siuc.edu/ for more information.

“Eighty Moods of Maya Angelou,” a photographic exhibit from Lovejoy Library’s Eugene B. Redmond Collection at SIUE, focuses on the poet, educator, performer and best-selling author Maya Angelou. The exhibit recently opened and is on display at Lovejoy Library on the SIUE campus, and will run through the end of October. The exhibit has been described as a testament to the rich and enduring friendship between Angelou and Redmond, professor emeritus of English language and literature at SIUE. Howard Rambsy II, assistant professor of English language and literature, is the exhibit’s curator. Angelou was born April 4, 1928, in St. Louis, spending part of her childhood there before moving to Stamps, Ark., where she endured the effects of racial discrimination but began developing a deep awareness of the value and values of black folk culture as well as African American artistic thought. Over the years, Angelou increased her interest in the arts, taking up dance, acting, singing and creative writing. In 1970, her bestselling autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, was published. Since then she has authored dozens of other celebrated books.

For the second time in three years, the work of a SIUC faculty member earned honors as the top article for the year from the American Healthcare Radiology Administrators: The Association for Medical Imaging Management.  Sandra Collins, assistant professor in health care management at SIUC’s School of Allied Health in the College of Applied Sciences and Arts, won the 2009 Outstanding Article Award along with co-author Denise A. Vaughn. Their winning article was “Labor Transformations and the Challenges of a Multigenerational Workforce.” The article appeared in the January/February issue of AHRA’s “Radiology Management.”  Vaughn completed her doctorate in Workforce Education and Development last year at SIUC.  Collins is a double alumna of SIUC, earning her bachelor of science in workforce education and development in 2001 and her MBA in 2003. She is currently working on her doctorate in education, workforce education and development. Collins won the William E. Nagle Academic Excellence Award at the University in 2006 for academic excellence in her doctoral program work.

Author and performance artist Tim Miller includes SIUC in his current tour, with two performances at Kleinau Theater.  Miller will present “Glory Box,” his exploration of love, gay marriage, and some of the challenges facing gay couples. The performance debuted in 1999, and remains one of his better-known works. That performance is at 8 p.m. on Oct. 8, and admission is free for this internationally acclaimed artist.  A second performance is set for 8 p.m. on Oct. 10 and features performance studies students who have spent a week work working with Miller to produce a show.  For a schedule of events at Kleinau Theater, go to http://speechcommunication.siuc.edu/kleinau/KLEINAU.htm.

Eight bachelor degree programs in the SIUE School of Engineering have been reaccredited recently by the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET) Inc., by ABET’s Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC) and by the American Council for Construction Education (ACCE). The EAC’s reaccreditation covered degree programs in civil, electrical, computer, industrial, manufacturing and mechanical engineering. ABET is the recognized accrediting body for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology. ABET accreditation demonstrates a program’s commitment to providing its students with a quality education. Engineering Dean Hasan Sevim said he is proud to be among the engineering schools approved by ABET and ACCE. “Accreditation is a strong testimony to the excellence of our programs in the SIUE School of Engineering,” Sevim said. Accreditation is a voluntary, peer-review process that requires programs to undergo comprehensive periodic evaluations. The evaluations—conducted by teams of volunteer professionals working in industry, government, academe and private practice within the ABET disciplines—focus on program curricula, faculty, facilities and institutional support, as well as other important areas.

John Griswold and Gordon Pruett are the winners of the 2009 Delta Awards, presented by the Friends of Morris Library at SIUC.  The awards presentation was in conjunction with the group’s annual dinner last month. The Delta Award recognizes those who write, edit, or publish with distinction about Southern Illinois. Since the award’s inception in 1976, more than 100 people have earned the honor, including Paul Simon, Virginia Marmaduke, Richard “Dick” Clayton Gregory, Robert Coover and John Y. Simon.  Griswold won for his historical novel “A Democracy of Ghosts,” about the 1922 event dubbed the Herrin Massacre. Pruett’s honor was for his work as publisher with Crossfire Press and as editor of the Shawnee Classics with SIU Press.  Pruett founded Crossfire Press in 1989, dedicated to the reprinting of rare, out-of-print books relative to the region. He continued his vision with the Shawnee Classics at SIU Press. Pruett also chronicled Herrin’s history for its 2000 centennial with a book and a 40-minute video.

Two prominent independent Chicago filmmakers and SIUC alums return to campus to screen and discuss their latest films.  Joe and Kris Swanberg will each screen their latest projects and answer questions at Morris Library’s John C. Guyon Auditorium on Monday, Oct. 5, and Tuesday, Oct. 6. Kris Swanberg will screen her film, “It was great, but I was ready to come home,” at 7 p.m. Monday. Joe Swanberg will screen his film, “Alexander the Last,” at 7 p.m. Tuesday.  The College of Mass Communication and Media Arts’ Department of Cinema & Photography presents the event through Student Fine Arts Activity Fee funds. Admission is free.  Swanberg and his wife, the former Kris Williams, earned bachelor’s degrees in cinema and photography in 2003.

A podcast produced at SIUE — 365 Days of Astronomy (365 DoA) — has won the Parsec Award for Best Infotainment Podcast. 365 DoA brings together the voices of astronomers and astronomy lovers from around the globe. The award was given at the Dragon*Con convention recently in Atlanta, Ga. Musician and podcaster George Hrab, composer of the show’s theme song, accepted the award for the 365 DoA team. The SIUE entry was one of five finalists for this award, with 50 shows receiving nominations. 365 DoA is an official podcast of the International Year of Astronomy (IYA2009). According to Pamela Gay, an SIUE lecturer in the Department of Physics and co-chair of the IYA2009 New Media Task Group, 365 DoA is a testament to what a group of people can accomplish when they follow both their hearts and their heads.

A Sustainability Council is now in place at SIUC and members are looking for input from the campus community, including suggestions for use of the new student-paid Green Fee.  Chancellor Samuel Goldman appointed the council members in September and put them right to work. Their first order of business is to create their own structure and operating papers no later than Dec. 15.  During their first meeting this month, council members selected Paul Restivo, director of the SIUC Center for Environmental Health and Safety, as their chairman.  At their October meeting, they will select the rest of their officers, determine if the council will recommend adding community members, and decide just how they’ll operate and achieve their goals.

Family physicians in seven Illinois communities are hosting students from the SIU School of Medicine October 1-30.  The students are participating in the School’s Family Medicine Preceptorship Program. The experience is an opportunity for students to use their medical knowledge in an office setting under supervision of an experienced physician.  The students choose from more than 160 family practice physicians in Illinois for their preceptorship experience.  They will graduate from medical school in May 2011 when they will go on for advanced training in a specific area of medicine before beginning practice.  Since its beginning in 1981, 1,975 students have participated in the program, which is offered by the School’s Department of Family and Community Medicine.

Behind a strong defensive effort, the No. 8 Salukis of SIUC were able to win its eighth-straight Missouri Valley Football Conference opener with a 24-14 victory over North Dakota State on Sept. 26 at McAndrew Stadium. The two teams came into the game ranked in the top six nationally in scoring offense, but it was a clean game controlled by defense and field position. The Salukis hit the road Oct. 3 to face Western Illinois in Macomb. The game is televised by the Missouri Valley Football Conference and is the FCS national Radio Game of the Week. SIUC returns to McAndrew Stadium on Oct. 10 for a Homecoming matchup with Illinois State.  Game time is 2 p.m.